Maternity garment construction



Dec. 30, 1969 I P; JACOBS 3,487,418

MATERNITY GARMENT CONSTRU'CT ION Filed July 2, 1968 INVENTOR 2. BY QM y United States Patent 3,487,418 MATERNITY GARMENT CONSTRUCTION Phillip Jacobs, Leawood, Kans., assignor to Phil Jacobs C0., Inc., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed July 2, 1968, Ser. No. 742,068 Int. Cl. A41d 1/20 U.S. Cl. 2--221 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A maternity garment having a front opening and a covering panel of expansible material. A fold-down front flap covers the expansible panel and is releasably secured at .the top of the garment to permit expansion of the panel. Side flanges of outer garment material at each end of the expansible material insure that only such outer material is exposed to view.

This invention relates to wearing apparel, and more particularly to a maternity garment.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a garment which has a front opening to accommodate the progressive stages of pregnancy, but which is'not dependent upon the customary overhanging smock to cover the front opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment having a panel of expansible material disposed to stretch as required for the comfort of the wearer, yet which panel is hidden during use by a covering flap which does not present an uncomfortable restriction for the wearer.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a garment which has the features capable of achieving the objects mentioned above, yet which may be presented in a variety of styles.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a maternity garment wherein the front opening for the abdomen is covered by an expansible panel bordered by a margin of outer garment material so that only such outer material is exposed to view even after considerable enlargement of the abdomen.

These and other objects of the present invention will be further explained or will become apparent from the following specification and claims and from inspection of the drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective View of a garment embodying the principles of this invention, illustrating the garment with the front flap in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of the garment of FIG. 1, showing the front flap in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional 'view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

The maternity garment is designated by the numeral in the drawing and includes a tubular body 12 which may be in the nature of a skirt as shown in the drawing. Body 12 is conveniently formed of a back section 14 and front section 16, the sections 14 and 16 being interconnected at each side of the garment by a vertically extending seam 18, only one of which is shown in FIG. 3.

The tubular body 12 is open at the top, and a front opening 20 extends downwardly from the top as is usual in garments of this type. A pair of flanges 22 and 24 project forwardly from body 12 and, more particularly, from back section 14 as illustrated in the drawing. The flanges 3,487,418 Patented Dec. 30, 1969 22 and 24 may be integral with back section 14 as illustrated and they are preferably of the same material as that used in the construction of sections 14 and 16 of body 12.

Flanges 22 and 24 partially span the distance across opening 20 and the ends of the flanges 22 and 24 are interconnected with a panel 26 of expansible material. It will be noted that the lowermost edge 28 of panel 26 is not connected to any other portion of the garment. The tops of body 12 and panel 26 may be sewn to a circumscribing elastic band 30 defining the waist of the garment 10.

It will be noted that flanges 22 and 24 project forwardly from the corresponding side seams 18 of the garment and the upper marginal portion of front section 16 of the garment defines a flap 32 adapted to extend upwardly in covering relationship to the front opening 20 of garment 10. The width of flap 32 is greater than the width of panel 26 so that the side edges of flap 32 overlap the respective corresponding flanges 22 and 24. Means such as a centrally located button 34 and a cooperating buttonhole 36, together with rows of buttons 38 and corner buttonholes 40 serve to releasably secure the flap 32 in its covering position over front opening 20. Manifestly, the rows of buttons 38 provide adjustable means for loosening flap 32 to avoid any unnecessary restricting of the normal expansion of the wearer of garment 10 during pregnancy.

The position of flap 32 when garment 10 is worn is illustrated in FIG. 2. Although garment 10 is constructed for maternity wear and includes the usual means for permitting expansion, it does not have the characteristics appearance of a maternity garment. To this end, it is not necessary with the construction of this invention that the expansible panel 26 be covered by an overhanging smock or similar garment. Further, it will be noted that the wearer need have no fear of the expansible panel 26 or other undergarments being exposed to view because the flap 32 is always disposed in covering relationship over front opening 20.

It should be noted that the side edges of front flap 32 comprise continuations of the side seams 18 to give the appearance of simulated pocket openings for body 12. The function of front flap 32 for covering the front opening 20 of this garment is thereby camouflaged.

It will be readily apparent, however, that the rows of buttons 38 may be utilized to permit expansion of the waistband as required to accommodate the outward expansion of expansible panel 26. At all times, however, the outer edges of flap 32 lap over the forwardly projecting flanges 24 so that the outer garment material is exposed to view and the expansible material 26 is concealed from view.

It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in this art that flanges 24 need not be integral with back section 14. Rather, the flanges might be sewn as separate pieces to back section 14. The same may be said, of course, with respect to the downwardly opening front flap 32.

Although garment 10 chosen for illustration is in the nature of a skirt, it will be appreciated that construction as shown and described herein might also be utilized in maternity garments in the nature of slacks or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A maternity garment comprising:

an open top, tubular body having a back section and a front section;

a continuous, elastic band extending completely around said tubular body being secured to said back section and defining said open top of the body;

said front section having an opening extending downwardly from said band, and a pair of spaced, elongated, longitudinally vertical flanges, one on each side respectively of said opening, depending from and secured to said band;

an expansible panel being secured to and depending from said band across said opening;

said panel spanning the distance between and being secured to said flanges and terminating in a free, lowermost edge aligned with the lower ends of the flanges,

said front section having a flap fully covering said panel and overlapping at least a portion of each flange when said expansible panel has been expanded; and

releasable fasteners on the flap and on said band disposed to attach the normally uppermost marginal edge of the flap to the band,

the fasteners, to be folded downwardly along a line across said opening below said free edge of the panel and below said lower ends of the flanges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,521,409 9/1950 Richony 2-221 2,900,643 8/1959 Varnhagen 2--22l FOREIGN PATENTS 208,796 4/ 1960 Austria. 960,159 6/ 1964 Great Britain.

said flap being otherwise separate from the panel and 15 H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner from the flanges adapting the same, upon release of 

